Chapter 3 Nora #2
“Look…” I swallowed thickly, keeping my eyes on him through the mirror. My arms were crossed over my breasts, and I brought my knees up for extra coverage. “If you feel the need to press charges, please let me explain myself first.”
His hand came up, tunneling through his messy blond hair.
The beanie he’d worn earlier was gone, so were his shoes and jacket, now he stood in thick jeans and a soft T-shirt.
I hated how badly I wanted to run my fingers along the stretchy material and rub it against my face when he wasn’t looking. It looked so soft.
“I never said anything about pressing charges, Nora. All I asked was for you to explain yourself, so please…” He held his hand out as if I should continue.
Right.
My sopping curls frizzed as I sat in the water, watching him in the mirror.
“I have no power at my house…no coffee or way to make breakfast…” I was totally hoping for empathy from him, but his face was made of stone, completely unmoving, so I pushed on. “I just planned to steal a little heat and some coffee, but then I saw your tub.”
His head tilted the slightest bit. “And how is it that you found my tub?”
I puckered my brow at the reminder of his closed door.
“Yeah, about that…why leave your door shut when no one else lives here?”
He inclined his head as if to challenge me.
“Why would you assume that no one else lives here?”
Oh, shit…why would I assume that? What if his girlfriend was at the gym this morning…or already at work…had I been that wrong about who came and went…how had I missed an extra vehicle? Maybe that meant I wasn’t nearly as obsessed with noticing when he came and went as much as I thought.
“Colson, I’m so sorry. I have no idea what came over me, let me just get up and I’ll leave.”
I was about to let my arms free, bracing my hands on either side of the tub, but Colson stood there staring…it seemed as though he was lost in thought. Maybe he was considering what to do with me…maybe he wanted to call the cops. I wouldn’t blame him, especially if he didn’t live alone.
A churning sensation took place in my stomach as I considered how bad this was, and how this would change our neighborly relationship forever. My face was overheating, I knew he could see it, especially as his eyes narrowed on my reflection.
This moment mimicked the previous one last year, way too closely. He hadn’t outright said he’d had a girlfriend this time, but he sort of implied it, which made me want to jump off the nearest bridge.
“I’ll be waiting out here for you…” he finally turned and left the bathroom so I could escape.
With quick, jerky movements, I blotted my legs and arms with the soft towel I’d found in his small storage area next to the shower.
I tugged on my panties and pajama pants, then threw my hoodie over my head.
My boots were by the back door but were easy to slip on.
My dark curls hung in heavy tangles down my back, practically screaming for product so that my hair didn’t frizz, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Slowly exiting Colson’s bedroom, I had a moment where I stared at the front door longingly, wondering how painful it would be to run outside barefoot and hope he’d toss my snow boots over the fence later.
He’d probably throw them away at this rate.
With a heavy sigh, I gave up on the idea and walked into the living room.
He was in the kitchen, a dishtowel tossed over his shoulder while he stirred something in a pan.
“Do you want toast with your eggs?”
Frozen in place, my socks pressing into his plush white carpet, I stared at his muscular back.
I must have waited too long because he moved, turning toward me, not smiling…but not frowning either.
“Toast?”
“Yes…please.” He was feeding me after I broke into his house? Ok.
I slowly walked to the barstool tucked under the lip of his counter and dragged it free.
He worked effortlessly, stirring scrambled eggs, turning to smear butter on the toast, then he added a dash of salt and pepper.
I hated that I’d be storing this image away for later when I carefully pulled it free and tried to recreate it on my wedding inspiration board.
“You need milk with your coffee?” he asked, his eyes barely lifting up to meet mine before dashing away again.
“No…I can drink it black, thank you.”
Was he messing with me? I swear, I was about to be punked…the sheriff was going to walk in, or worse, my father.
Flipping the burner off, he plated the eggs, and then handed me mine.
The yellow eggs were fluffed to perfection, with cream cheese mixed in and spinach.
My mouth watered instantly. The toast had melted butter and raspberry jam, and he’d added blueberries and strawberries on the side.
For some reason it all made me teary-eyed.
Why was he being so nice to me?
He’d never been this nice to me.
“Thank you…I—” How did I even begin to apologize?
Colson cut off my apology.
“I don’t blame you for breaking in…” Colson started, his deep voice cutting through my thoughts. He stood at the counter across from me, picking at a few berries as he talked.
“I should have told you to come in before I left. I guess I was trying to see if you’d figure something out before then…either way, I realize you had no power, and it was shitty of me to just leave.”
Wow…had he just…
A huff of air left my chest as I asked, “Did you just apologize?”
His blue eyes narrowed, while taking a large bite of egg. His jaw moved, and I was mesmerized by how sexual it looked.
I copied, chewing while I stared, enraptured by his presence.
We stayed like that, engaged in some weird staring contest where I definitely won, when he finally let out a sigh and placed his empty plate in the sink.
“Is me seeing you naked going to be an issue?”
I happened to be sipping coffee when he asked that question, so of course I sputtered and coughed within seconds. Once I finally recovered, I shook my head.
“Not for me.”
Totally for me. I would hoard the fact that he saw my nipples and pretend he was wildly obsessed, even harboring a crush of his own that he only indulged in at night.
“Then we’re good. I have a few errands to run, then I’ll get started on your tree. Stay here, watch TV…relax. If you take another bath, please shut the door, maybe use the lock that’s there.”
Flames pranced under my skin, burning my face like wildfire.
“Obviously, I don’t plan on taking a bath again…and I appreciate the offer, but I’m good to go home now. I just wanted a little coffee.” And a soak in your tub, but like hell was I saying that. Instead, I moved toward my boots and unlaced them.
“Nora, you don’t have any power. Stay put until I can get over there and sort out what’s going on.”
“No, thank you.” I muttered politely while lacing up my boots.
“I’m not asking. Stay here…stay warm, I’ll be back in an hour…”
I stood up straight, surprised by his terse tone.
We hadn’t even talked about the break in, or anything for that matter. He’d fed me and was now telling me to stay put. What the hell had gotten into him? Where had my asshole neighbor gone?
Giving me one last nod toward the couch, I decided to play his game and set aside my pride.
Settling into his sofa, I was handed a blanket, a remote, and instructions on how to work the varying apps.
Apparently, he had all of them, which was a far cry from me still using my parents’ Netflix subscription, and occasionally catching episodes of that dragon show while at the gym.
“Stay put,” Colson said one last time as if I were a Golden Retriever he was leaving for the day. The second his truck left the driveway, I bolted up and found my boots.
Like hell would I stay put, and for fuck’s sake, I wasn’t a damn dog.